The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his concern about the invalidation of the mayoral election in Chisinau and urged his interlocutors to work on a legal solution to ensure that the electoral rights are fully implemented, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the CoE.

On July 2, Secretary General Jagland met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Pavel Filip in Strasbourg. He also held a meeting with opposition leaders Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase on July 3.

According to the press release, the Secretary General was informed about the recent electoral developments in the country. In this respect, the decision to invalidate the results of mayoral elections in Chisinau, which were also acknowledged by international observers, raises high concerns, in particular with respect to the proportionality of the decision.

The Secretary General urged his interlocutors to work on a legal solution to ensure that the electoral rights are fully implemented. The voters’ trust in the electoral system is fundamental and must not be undermined. In a democracy, the choice of the electorate must be fully respected.